Western Watersheds wins a second legal case today

The focus has been on the bighorn sheep versus domestic sheep case, but Greta Anderson of the WWP’s Arizona office won an case before an administratrive law judge today — Western Watersheds Project v. Bureau of Land Management and intervener Byner Cattle Corporation.

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Ralph Maughan

Dr. Ralph Maughan is professor emeritus of political science at Idaho State University with specialties in natural resource politics, public opinion, interest groups, political parties, voting and elections. Aside from academic publications, he is author or co-author of three hiking/backpacking guides, and he is President of the Western Watersheds Project.

10 Responses to Western Watersheds wins a second legal case today

What is most appalling is that BLM acts like there are an endless amount of funds to build all manner of NEW cow projects – yet the existing projects are often in rack and ruin. Not to mention the gross depletion of the landscape the existing projects have caused.

And how very few “undeveloped” waters exist in places like – central AZ!

Beyond that all Why would anyone in their right mind want to BUILD MORE cow contraptions in an area so completely unsuited for livestock grazing as the Big Sandy country???

That BLM continues this ridiculous course of action, instead of just terminating the permits – is a testimony to the failures of the Obama admin, and its appointment of the rancher and know-nothing Ken Salazar as a Dark Nasty Hat quelling any change at Interior.

It goes to show that the BLM does not look at all aspects of an action in their EAs. How can the public comment on actions if they don’t know about them? Hence, the WWPs court action and subsequent ruling.

Well, to be fair, sometimes they are honest. Like, when I asked them how they came up with the proposed number of animal unit months and I was told that it was the lowest number the permittee would agree to. That was probably honest- an illegal basis for management, but true nonetheless.

BTW, the “permittee” is a subsidiary of Freeport McMoRan mining company. Its corporate offices are in the same downtown Phoenix building as the Arizona State BLM offices.

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‎"At some point we must draw a line across the ground of our home and our being, drive a spear into the land and say to the bulldozers, earthmovers, government and corporations, “thus far and no further.” If we do not, we shall later feel, instead of pride, the regret of Thoreau, that good but overly-bookish man, who wrote, near the end of his life, “If I repent of anything it is likely to be my good behaviour."